Machiavellianism Scales (Mach Scales)

Abstract

The Machiavellianism Scales (Mach Scales), primarily represented by the 20-item Mach IV, constitute one of the most widely used instruments in social and personality psychology. Developed by Richard Christie and Florence Geis, this scale is designed to quantify an individual’s tendency toward Machiavellianism—a personality construct characterized by manipulative, cynical, and emotionally detached interpersonal tactics. The Mach IV specifically assesses an individual’s approach to dealing with others, focusing on their manipulability and strategic engagement within interpersonal relationships. A separate version, the “Kiddie Mach,” is also available for younger populations.

Keywords

Machiavellianism, Mach IV, personality scale, social psychology, manipulation, cynicism, interpersonal relationships, Christie and Geis.

Authors

Christie, R., Geis, F. L.

Purpose

The primary purpose of the Mach IV scale is to measure the extent to which an individual endorses manipulative tactics and pragmatic, self-interested views of human nature. It serves as a diagnostic tool for researchers studying personality traits associated with strategic and calculating behavior in social contexts, gauging the individual’s willingness to exploit others for personal gain.

The instrument was created to operationalize the theoretical concepts derived from the political philosophy of Niccolò Machiavelli, translating these ideas into a measurable psychological dimension of personality. By assessing an individual’s endorsement of deceit and cunning, the scale provides critical data for studies on negotiation, ethical decision-making, and social influence.

Construct

The scale measures Machiavellianism, which is defined as a personality construct rooted in the belief that the ends justify the means. The scale construction was initially based on three conceptual categories derived from Machiavelli’s works: the nature of interpersonal tactics, cynical views of human nature, and abstract or generalized morality.

The final 20 items of the Mach IV scale capture these dimensions, focusing on the degree of cynicism, the belief that people are fundamentally weak and manipulable, and the endorsement of deceptive strategies to achieve personal goals. This construct is frequently studied as part of the Dark Triad of personality traits.

Validity

Validation efforts for the Mach IV scale have focused on its ability to correlate with related measures and predict relevant behavioral outcomes. Concurrent validation studies have been conducted, notably through correlations between the Mach IV and the subsequent Mach V scales, demonstrating consistency across different iterations of the measurement tool.

Furthermore, information regarding predictive validation studies is included in the foundational research by Christie and Geis. These studies suggest that scores on the Mach IV are effective in forecasting behaviors associated with high Machiavellianism, such as manipulative social interaction and strategic decision-making in laboratory settings.

Reliability

The internal consistency of the Mach IV scale demonstrated acceptable levels during its initial development. The average split-half reliabilities across various samples averaged 0.79, indicating that the two halves of the test measured the same construct consistently.

Additionally, the average item-test correlation was calculated at 0.38. This figure suggests that individual items within the scale generally contribute moderately well to the measurement of the overall Machiavellianism score, supporting the instrument’s overall psychometric soundness when administered to the study population.

Factor Analysis

Initial factor analysis of the Mach IV scale items yielded a distinct three-factor structure, which largely aligns with the conceptual components of the Machiavellian construct. These factors delineate distinct facets of manipulative and cynical thinking:

• Seven items loaded onto the factor of Duplicity (Items 2, 3, 6, 7, 9, 10, and 15), reflecting the use of deceit and cunning in social interactions.
• Seven items defined the factor of Negativism (Items 1, 5, 8, 12, 13, 18, and 20), encompassing pessimistic and cynical views regarding human motivation and work ethic.
• Four items composed the factor related to Distrust of People (Items 4, 11, 14, and 16), measuring the belief that others are inherently unreliable or malicious.

Instrument

Test Type: Personality self-report psychological scale.

Format: 20-item instrument using a 7-point response format.

Language Available: English (Original).

Population Group: General population (validated extensively on university students).

Age Group: Adolescents and adults (a “Kiddie Mach” version exists for younger subjects).

Population Details: The original normative sample consisted of 1,196 university students spanning institutions in Iowa, New York, and North Carolina.

Test Methodology: Respondents indicate their level of agreement or disagreement. The scoring system originally used values from Agree Strongly (+3) to Disagree Strongly (-3). For final scoring purposes, this is converted to a 7-point scale (Agree Strongly = 7; Disagree Strongly = 1), with No Response receiving a score of 4. Scoring is reversed for items 3, 4, 6, 7, 9, 10, 11, 14, 16, and 17. A constant of 20 is added to the total score, resulting in a score range from 40 to 160, where 100 represents a neutral score.

Keywords

Machiavellianism, personality assessment, psychometric instrument, Dark Triad, social influence, duplicity, negativism, distrust.

Authors

Author ORCID Identifier: Not provided in source.

Affiliation Email addresses: Not provided in source.

Correspondence Address: Not provided in source.

Permissions & Fee and Test Year

The Mach IV scale was first published in 1970 as part of the seminal work, Studies in Machiavellianism, by Christie and Geis. Information regarding current permissions and licensing fees must be sought from the current rights holders or academic publishers (originally Academic Press, New York).

Reference’s

Christie, R., and Geis, F. L. (1970). Studies in Machiavellianism. New York: Academic Press.

Griesemer, S. R. (2008). The relationship between Machiavellianism, social goals, and social aggression. PhD dissertation, The University of Texas at Austin.

Richford, M. L., and Fortune, J. C. (1984). The secondary principal’s job satisfaction in relation to two personality constructs. Education 105:17–20.

Shea, M. T., and Beatty, J. R. (1983). Measuring Machiavellianism with Mach V: A psychometric investigation. Journal of Personality Assessment 47:509–13.

Items of the Machiavellianism Scales (Mach Scales)

IMPORTANT: The following scale items must be preserved in their original language and must not be changed in any way.

1. Never tell anyone the real reason you did something unless it is useful to do so.
2. The best way to handle people is to tell them what they want to hear.
3. One should take action only when sure it is morally right.
4. Most people are basically good and kind.
5. It is safest to assume that all people have a vicious streak and it will come out when they are given a chance.
6. Honesty is the best policy in all cases.
7. There is no excuse for lying to someone else.
8. Generally speaking, men won’t work hard unless they’re forced to do so.
9. All in all, it is better to be humble and honest than to be important and dishonest.
10. When you ask someone to do something for you, it is best to give the real reasons for wanting it rather than giving reasons which carry more weight.
11. Most people who get ahead in the world lead clean, moral lives.
12. Anyone who completely trusts anyone else is asking for trouble.
13. The biggest difference between most criminals and other people is that the criminals are stupid enough to get caught.
14. Most men are brave.
15. It is wise to flatter important people.
16. It is possible to be good in all respects.
17. Barnum was wrong when he said that there’s a sucker born every minute.
18. It is hard to get ahead without cutting corners here and there.
19. People suffering from incurable diseases should have the choice of being put painlessly to death.
20. Most men forget more easily the death of their father than the loss of their property.